Soil contamination in Swat Valley caused by cadmium and copper.

ABSTRACT The study was conducted in Swat Valley, North West Frontier Province, during 2006-07 with an attempt to investigate soil contamination caused by Cadmium (Cd) and Copper (Cu). In the study area, an increasing trend in uses of fungicides (copper sulfate + copper Oxychloride) and the use of compost as natural fertilizer and sewage water for irrigation were observed. Most of the people (residents and tourists) are using re-chargeable Cd-batteries. The trend of recycling is very week, and the Cd-batteries directly affect the agricultural fields through addition of compost. Among these, cadmium is a toxic heavy metal and copper, although, is a micronutrient, but its toxic levelcan create health hazards. For this propose 63 samples were collected from the entire Swat Valley and were analyzed for copper and cadmium, using Mehlich-3 method of extraction. A strong correlation was observed between Cd concentration and compost material, which was further confirmed by conducting interviews with farmer community. The soil samples collected from irrigated land, where natural fertilizer was used, were high in cadmium level while samples from the rainfed areas, where natural fertilizers use was less, were low in cadmium concentration. The same trend in irrigated and rainfed areas was also observed for copper, as majority of farmers use copper based fungicides, causing an increase in copper content of soil. Regulating the use of copper based fungicides and recycling of cadmium batteries can control the contamination and associated hazards.